The Right Moustache For You

The hardest part of Movember isn’t growing, it’s shaving. Until you put razor to face, your moustache has no shape. When you start sculpting, you’ll need some style advice from the pros. Fortunately, we spoke to two leading members of the Chicago Beard Union, a “social club for facial hair enthusiasts,” Ken Melvoin-Berg (left) and Jeremy Scheuch (right). Two moustachioed men from the land of Ditka certainly know wherefrom they speak.

1. Evaluate your situation

“The biggest deciding factor is how the hair actually grows,” says Melvoin-Berg, who’s known in Chicago as the Sultan of Soup Strainers. “Guys without a lot of hair need to go for moustaches closer to the lip line, where more hair tends to grow.” Color and texture also play a part. Men fortunate enough to have thick, dark hair have a wider variety of options.

Of course, the moustache projects a bit of attitude as well. “I like the olds-school look of the handlebar moustache,” says Scheuh. “It’s a little more refined but still silly.” While a thick, cop-like moustache projects an air of authority and commands respect, thinner moustaches shaved closer to the lip line have advantages of their own. Such as being mistaken for John Waters.

It takes a confident man to rock a moustache that thin.

2. Consider style and grooming

Your personal style influences what style of moustache looks good on you and grabs female attention. The standard Burt Reynolds-style is versatile, while the handlebar can be less so. Look at different styles and see how well they go with what you wear on a typical day. Men with a more retro style will find options like the English moustache or the pencil moustache more in sync with their look. Men with a more casual, contemporary style will prefer a more natural mo, like the chevron or what we like to call the Tom Selleck.

Another factor: men with longer moustaches need to groom and style the mo. “This is the biggest controversy among professional moustache growers,” says Melvoin-Berg. Yes, apparently “professional moustache grower” is a real thing. Why didn’t our guidance counselors ever tell us about that? Melvoin-Berg prefers Clubman brand wax, a product almost certainly used by one of your forefathers. The choice of wax is key even for the amateur grower. “You can smell your moustache and so can the woman you’re kissing, so it had better smell good.”

When in doubt, look to friends with good ’staches. Not only can you knock off their style, you can also go to them for hints and tips on moustache grooming. Part of Movember is finding other men passionate about men’s health and getting your wolf pack together. Together, you can rival the greatest moustaches ever grown. Good luck!

We pity him. It must have hurt to look that good.

Made Man is a proud partner of Movember. Last year, our company raised over $40,000 for the cause, thanks in large part to you. So grow a mo and click to join the Made Men Are Mo’ed Men team today!